Friday, November 13, 2009

Granny Birthday card

This month celebrates three anniversaries for me. One of which is coming up this weekend, the other two are closer to the end of the month. The anniversary I'm celebrating this weekend is the first anniversary for Our Craft Lounge! Last year on November 14th OCL went live to the public after months of behind the scenes work. My other two anniversaries are 9 years working for Copic and 7 years being married to my dear husband.

Today we are also celebrating the birthday of someone here at work, so I made her this lovely Granny card. This card was made using the set Granny's Secrets, one of the 5 different Granny sets currently available from Our Craft Lounge.

Pre-Soaking with Colorless BlenderOne technique I used on this card that you may not be aware of is the gray area under Granny's chair. I didn't have a light enough shade of gray within easy reach so I used my colorless blender and pre-soaked the area in which I wanted a shadow. Then I added my C3 and it was much lighter because the paper was already wet. It was also much easier to fade out the edges with the blender because the paper was pre-soaked.

Another thing you can't tell is that because Granny's dress has such a tiny pattern I colored it with the fine end of my Copic Original markers. The middle of each flower was colored with my R35 then I lightly touched it with blender to get it to wash out. One layer of the white silk flower I touched up with a yellow marker to accent the rich yellow center.

I hope each of you has a chance to head over to the forums at Our Craft Lounge or their blog to check out their scavenger hunt and get a chance to win some fabulous prizes. You still have one more day to leave your entry on my last post to win a special Copic prize as well. Good Luck!

Marianne, That is a great technique! Cute card! I go back over all my notes from your class before I do a Copic demo / presentation. One technique I have not tried yet, and would like to see an example of, is the one where you fill the water brush with blender solution and pick up the marker off of a palette. Will you please put that on your list to show? THANKS!!

Hi Marianne, I love your card. She is such a spunky granny..lol..I am so going to try the soaking before using my grays. Sounds like fun, and I can not wait to see the results. I really love all of your tips and info. I have a 3 ring binder that I keep them in for quick reference..Thanks for sharing your talent. Lisa G

I'm a newbie here and am just droolin' over Grandma. The colors and tech's you used to draw me into the card are just beautiful. I don't own any Copic's unfortunately, but sure would like an opportunity to win some. You betcha' I'll be back from now on. thanks so much

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About Me

I am the North American Product Director for Copic Markers, working at Imagination International, Inc. I have written 4 books on coloring with Copics in conjunction with Colleen Schaan. I used to design stamps for Our Craft Lounge. The things I post on this blog are my personal opinions or techniques I have come across over the years- I will try to give credit where credit is due. These ramblings do not necessarily reflect the general opinions of Copic Markers/Imagination International Inc.
my direct e-mail is marianne@copicmarker.com

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Copic Glossary

ABS/Airbrush System- Copic Airbrush System. Works with either a compressor or Copic aircans. Uses either Sketch or Copic Markers. 1234TroubleshootingAlcohol Markers- Copic markers are alcohol (ethanol) based dye markers, that are known for being low-odor and giving smooth, vibrant colors. Since they are a dye, they will fade in bright lights, but they are acid free on most surfaces. Anything with alcohol in it will react with these inks. Any Copic marker type is refillable with replaceable tips. They will not cause paper to pill when going over it many times, nor will they dissolve photocopies.

Color Saturation- This is the first digit on a color name. Colors that are 00's, 10's, or 20's will be more vibrant (B05, G16, R29), while colors that are in the 70's, 80's or 90's have more gray added (B95, BG78, G94) and are closer to the neutral/earthy end of the color spectrum. Note: E (Earth) markers don't necessarily follow this rule.

Color Group- A sequential group of colors within one color family with the same first digit (i.e. E30, E31, E33, E34, E35, E37, E39) where numbers ending in 0 are the lightest and 9 is the darkest, also called Natural Blending Group

Copic Certification- These are classes for teachers, store owners, or designers who want to learn techniques and advanced tips on using Copic markers, Airbrushing, etc. for papercrafting. Each class is about 7 hrs, and will be held regionally. Check here for listings of upcoming classes.

Spica Glitter Pens - also called atyou Spica pens. These fun, pigment based pens are filled with micro glass flakes, giving a very subtle, elegant sparkle. Keep stored flat, though if they are giving you troubles, try storing them point down overnite.

Various Ink- Also called Refill Ink or Re-inkers. Each bottle holds 25 cc's of ink. 322 colors available, empty bottle for mixing custom colors also available. Great for making alcohol ink effects, such as Faux Stone or covering large areas. When you see streaking in your work it's time to refill. You can refill directly from your bottle of ink, or you can use a booster needle. Try not to overfill.For refilling dry markers:Ciao- add 1 to 1.5 cc's ink Sketch- 2 cc's Copic 2-3 cc's Wide 3-4 cc's

Using this site for Classes

The content from each post is intended as tutorials and directions as well as useful information. If you would like to use these tutorials in a workshop you are more than welcome to, just give credit to this blog site and other suppliers mentioned in each post.

Thank You!

Marianne

Color Disclaimer

Colors on the screen do not match colors printed in color charts, and neither will match the marker colors in real life. To get a feel of what the colors will look like it's best if you get an actual color swatch.

To request a printed color chart, general catalog, Stamping with Copic Brochure, or Airbrushing with Copic Brochure you can e-mail orders@copicmarker.com (remember, printed charts aren't accurate)

Save a tree, get it digital!For digital copies of the above brochures please look through the Copic Library. Don't see what you need? e-mail me at marianne@copicmarker.com

Check the library also for refilling guides, airbrushing set-ups, and other useful literature.

Click here to purchase your favorite Copic Products

Books by Marianne Walker

These books are stand alone guides for anyone who wants to learn more tricks for coloring with their markers. All images to color are in the back of the book, along with color charts and guides. Each book is printed in English and Español SRP $9.95

Shadows & Shading: A beginner's guide to lighting placementThis book is for teaching you where to accurately put shadows and highlights when coloring with any medium. Includes clear lighting guides to help you plan where to place your shadows & highlights. Distributed by Copic/Imagination International, Inc.